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Beef, pork, poultry, and seafood may be the staples of the limited-service restaurant industry, but non-meat items aren’t taking a back seat on the menu these days. Although vegetarians make up a small percentage of the American dining population, an increasing number of consumers are deciding to eat less meat.

“Ten years ago, it might have seemed like a fad, with just a small population, but it’s been constantly increasing,” says Jesse Gideon, corporate chef and chief operating officer for Fresh To Order, a 10-unit fast-casual chain based in Atlanta.

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Atlanta-based Fresh To Order will open a location in the CNN Center on November 22, providing CNN staff and visitors, other downtown employees, Omni Hotel guests, and Atlanta sports fans a new place to dine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and all occasions in between.

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Every successful brand relies not only on its leader to craft and execute a winning brand strategy, but also on its executive team members to keep the concept running smoothly. A savvy CEO understands that his or her fellow C-suite members must consistently be inspired to be the highest-quality, top-notch executives possible.

For Phillip Chang, CEO of frozen-yogurt chain Yogurtland, treating employees with dignity and respect is of the utmost importance when it comes to motivating his team. He also prioritizes setting a good example for his fellow executives to follow.

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When even a payment-processing company admits that the idea of payment processing is a pain in the side of most local merchants, it’s hard to deny that credit card processing may need some changes. And Swipely is ready to make them.

The purpose behind the company, founder and CEO Angus Davis says, is to help local merchants find success by accepting payments, better understanding their customers, and growing their sales.

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Fresh To Order (f2o) announced its growth in Tennessee with territory launches in Knoxville and Nashville, as well as continued expansion in Chattanooga, where the chain operates one company-owned unit.

Fresh To Order recently signed a development agreement for Knoxville with MRG Southeast LLC. Craig and Caterina Mason, co-owners of MRG, are experienced multiunit foodservice operators with real estate holdings in Knoxville. Frequent guests of f2o's Chattanooga location, they loved the food and saw the concept's growth potential.

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In an age when, according to Pew Research Center, one in three Americans owns a tablet and most adults use the Internet on their cell phones, it’s no surprise that businesses of all shapes and sizes are bringing in technology to bolster sales.

Innovative technologies are nothing new at quick-service restaurant brands, with many concepts employing digital menuboards, kiosks, iPads at the table, and other ways of letting customers tap into technology while inside the four walls.

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Working with Concessions International (CI), Atlanta-based LottaFrutta opens its first airport location in Concourse B of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL), making it one of the airport’s only Latina-owned restaurant vendors and its first franchised location.

CI, which operates concessions throughout the airport and in eight airports across the U.S. and U.S. Virgin Islands, is working with the Atlanta airport officials to renovate the food court area of Concourse B.

It’s back and bigger than ever. Now in its fourth year, our “Best Franchise Deals” report has become the can’t-miss list of top quick-service and fast-casual franchises, assessing factors such as investment-to-sales ratio, marketplace differentiation, corporate support to franchisees, and positive brand momentum.

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Fast-casual restaurants were once able to claim premium food, modern décor, and all-around upscale service as hallmarks of their category. But with more quick-service chains retooling in those areas to compete for post-recession consumers, fast casuals have been left to search for new ways to differentiate their brands.

For many, that search has turned up something typically better suited to fine- and casual-dining joints: booze.